Comelec has yet to decide what poll technology to use in 2016

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has yet to decide what technology to use in the 2016 polls, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said on Tuesday.

According to Brillantes, all the risks in deciding—whether to use the precinct count optical scanner (PCOS) machines or to have a new technology—are being carefully considered.

However he said that “all the options remain on the table.”

Brillantes further said that the Comelec is considering an option to use the direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines in 2016.

“We are yet to decide the technology to be used for the 2016 polls; DRE is only one of the options being considered,” Brillantes said on his official twitter account.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel 3rd earlier urged the Comelec to replace the PCOS machines to ensure the credibility of the next election.

Pimentel supported the idea of replacing the PCOS machines with a newer technology, adding that the flaws and vulnerabilities in the country’s previous automated elections “should be addressed to protect the next elections from sabotage or attempts to favor a candidate.”

Meanwhile, Brillantes said that the Comelec has already “publicly presented” all the options for the 2016 polls and the devices to be used with their estimated tag prices before the joint congressional oversight committee (house panel).

“ICT [Information and Communications Technology] organizations are adequately represented in the Advisory Council which recommends the tech to be applied in the AES,” Brillantes disclosed. ROBERTZON F. RAMIREZ